U.S. Women's National Team Weekly Update for Jan. 7

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Jan. 7, 2009) - The current edition of the U.S. Women's National Team Weekly update released on Jan. 7 includes briefs on national team players competing overseas, Tour of Glory celebrating USA Volleyball's Beijing success, USAV presence at the AVCA Annual Convention, U.S. Women's National Team Open Tryouts, how to purchase replica national team jerseys, updated list of United States players competing professionally overseas (including non-National Team members) and much more.

For the complete PDF document, click here. Below are selected sections from the update.

USA VOLLEYBALL HIGH PERFORMANCE COACHES' CLINIC: USA Volleyball will host its Sixth Annual High Performance Coaches Clinic Jan. 22-24, 2009, at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The 2009 USA Volleyball High Performance Coaches Clinic costs $400, which includes instruction, material and room and board at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. In conjunction with the USA Volleyball High Performance Coaches Clinic, the USAV Coaching Accreditation Program (CAP) will have additional modules available at the U.S. Olympic Training Center on Jan. 21 and Jan. 25, 2009. Clinic registration can be accessed online by clicking here.

OPEN TRYOUTS FOR U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM: USA Volleyball will hold its annual open tryouts for the U.S. Women's National Team and Associated Training Programs Feb. 20-22, 2009, at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The tryout registration and application form, which must be returned by Jan. 12, 2009, can be downloaded by clicking here. As part of the tryout, athletes will compete for spots on the USA Women's Volleyball National Team program, USA Women's World University Games Team or the USA Women's Senior A2 Teams. For the complete press release, click here.

INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS UPDATE: The full, updated list of United States female players competing in overseas professional leagues can be found on the third page of Weekly Update PDF. As a note, other players may be in the process of completing their transfer paperwork but cannot be listed until completed and thus eligible to compete for their professional team.

BOWN UPDATE: Heather Bown (Yorba Linda, Calif.), a three-time Olympian and middle blocker on the silver-medal winning 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, played a big part in her Italian Serie A professional team over the holiday season. She totaled 18 points (15 kills on 24 attempts, two blocks, one ace) for Monte Schiavo Banca Marche Jesi in a 23-25, 33-31, 25-19, 25-20 victory over Zoppas Industries Conegliano on Dec. 21. A day after Christmas, Bown scored nine points (seven kills, two blocks) in a 25-20, 25-14, 26-24 victory over Unicom Starker Kerakoll Sassuolo. Bown scored 19 points on Jan. 6 as Jesi nearly came back from an 0-2 deficit in a 25-22, 25-20, 20-25, 22-25, 15-12 loss to Yamamay Busto Arsizio. She collected 16 kills on 19 errorless attacks to go with three blocks. Jesi is currently in a tie for third place with a 9-4 record.

SCOTT-ARRUDA UPDATE: Danielle Scott-Arruda (Baton Rouge, La.), a four-time U.S. Olympian middle blocker, has played well in the Italian Serie A League providing mixed results for her CGF Recycle Florens Castellana Grotte team. She scored 15 points with 11 kills on 28 swings to go with four blocks in a 25-20, 22-25, 25-16, 25-18 loss to Despar Perugia on Dec. 21. The contest featured a U.S. Olympian from the state of Louisiana on both sides of the net as Kim Willoughby started for Perugia. Scott-Arruda's team got back on the winning track with a 25-14, 25-21, 25-23 victory over Tena Santeramo on Dec. 27. She scored 14 kills on 19 attempts with just one error, in addition to a match-high three blocks. Scott-Arruda produced 14 kills on 29 attacks and four blocks in a 25-18, 26-24, 23-25, 25-15 victory over Famila Chieri on Jan. 6. Her squad is currently 7-6 and in seventh place, but has an identical record as the fifth place team based on the point system.

WILLOUGHBY UPDATE: Kim Willoughby (Napoleonville, La.), a 2008 U.S. Olympian, continues to be a regular factor for her Italian Serie A team Despar Perugia. In a featured matchup against CGF Recycle Florens Castellana Grotte and four-time USA Olympian Danielle Scott-Arruda (Baton Rouge, La.) on Dec. 21, Willoughby tallied six points in a 25-20, 22-25, 25-16, 25-18 victory. Perugia downed Solo Affitti Tradeco Cesena 25-14, 25-17, 30-32, 25-11 on Dec. 26 as Willoughby notched 15 kills on 33 attacks and a block for 17 points. She also received serve with a 52 excellent percent and 76 positive percent. She did not play in a Jan. 6 three-set loss to league-leader Scavolini Pesaro. Perugia is currently tied for eighth place in the league standings. In addition, Perugia is competing in the CEV Indesit Champions League Main Phase and is 3-1 in Pool D. Willoughby notched 13 points with 10 kills, a block and two aces versus Russia's Zarechie Odintsovo on Dec. 17. Pool leader Perugia's next Pool D match is set for Jan. 14 against Netherlands' Dela Martinus Amstelveen.

UPDATE FROM RUSSIA: The Russia Super League, with U.S. Olympians Kim Glass (Lancaster, Pa.) and Jen Joines (Milpitas, Calif.) competing on different squads, has been on break since Dec. 13. Glass and fifth-place Universitet-Belogorie face Leningradka on Jan. 18. Joines and 10th-place Fakel challenge 11th-place Indesit on Jan. 18.

UPDATE ON HANEEF-PARK: Tayyiba Haneef-Park (Laguna Hills, Calif.), a two-time U.S. Olympian, assisted her Japanese V-League team Pioneer to the championship match of the annual Empress Tournament during a break from the V-League schedule. The tournament started earlier this year with 489 teams, including high school squads, competing for the chance to reach the final rounds. Haneef-Park pocketed a match-high 43 points in a 25-21, 21-25, 19-25, 25-22, 19-17 victory over Toray in the semifinals on Dec. 22. Haneef-Park tallied 40 kills on 68 swings in the match, including 15 kills from the backrow, to go with three blocks. In the championship match on Dec. 23 against Toyota, Haneef-Park recorded 16 kills in a 25-16, 25-17, 25-20 loss. Pioneer, in sixth place with a 5-4 record, starts the second half of the schedule on Jan. 10 against NEC, which is in fifth place in the league standings.

UPDATE ON TOM: Logan Tom (Salt Lake City, Utah), a three-time U.S. Olympian, competed with her Japanese V-League professional team Hisamitsu in the annual Empress Tournament during the holiday break. A total of 489 teams started the tournament earlier this year, and Hisamitsu was one of four teams to reach the semifinals. However, it dropped a 25-15, 17-25, 25-11, 25-19 match to Toyota. Tom picked up 11 kills, three blocks and an ace for 15 points in the contest. The Japanese V-League second half starts on Jan. 10 with Hisamitsu in eighth place and a 4-5 record. Hisamitsu returns to the court versus Hitachi, which is in 10th place and without a win.

BERG, SYKORA AT AVCA CONVENTION, NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP: Lindsey Berg (Honolulu) and Stacy Sykora (Burleson, Texas), both U.S. silver medalists at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, were on hand for the AVCA Annual Convention and the NCAA Volleyball Championship semifinals and final at Omaha, Neb. The two players appeared at the USA Volleyball exhibit booth, signed autographs, talked to convention attendees, assisted an NCAA clinic for youth volleyball players and were recognized at the NCAA matches.

WOMEN'S STAFF PRESENTS AT AVCA CONVENTION: Hugh McCutcheon, Sue Woodstra, Diane French and Joan Powell, all of whom participated at the 2008 Olympic Games leading to U.S. medals, took part in the AVCA Annual Convention in Omaha Dec. 17-20. McCutcheon, the new U.S. Women's National Team coach after leading the men's team to the gold medal in Beijing, and Woostra were featured as the AVCA Pre-Convention Seminar speakers. Woodstra served as the assistant coach for the women's team that earned the silver medal in Beijing. French, who served as the technical coordinator, and Powell, the team leader for the women's team in Beijing, also took part in convention activities.

TOUR OF GLORY: Volleyball teams and fans from around the country can celebrate USA Volleyball's success in Beijing at the Tour of Glory on Jan. 17-19 at the High Performance Volleyball Academy (HPVBA) in Lakewood, N.J. Representing the U.S. Women's Olympic Team will be Lindsey Berg, Nicole Davis and Stacy Sykora. Other headliners at the event will include U.S. Men's National Team Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon, past Olympians Eric Fonoimoana, Pat Powers and Sinjin Smith, and Kevin Barnett, who was one of NBC's commentators at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. USA Volleyball experienced unprecedented success at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, winning gold medals in indoor men's volleyball and men's and women's beach volleyball and a silver medal in women's indoor volleyball. The medal haul was capped off when the U.S. Women's Sitting Team won a silver medal at the 2008 Paralympic Games. USA Volleyball has teamed with the Garden Empire Volleyball Association (GEVA) to sanction the event and the High Performance Volleyball Academy for its production. For the complete article, click here.

REPLICA JERSEY AVAILABLE FOR LIMITED TIME: Are you looking for a unique holiday gift for your volleyball loved ones? USA Volleyball has the answer with replica jerseys from its 2008 Olympic Games indoor teams being made available for a limited time at http://usavolleyball2008.com/store/. The U.S. Olympic Women's Team replica jerseys, priced at $65 apiece, are available in extra small, small, medium, large and extra large. Replica jerseys are available for all 12 U.S. players who participated in the 2008 Olympic Games. Each replica jersey will have the Olympian's name on the back with their jersey number on both the front and back. Jerseys pre-ordered by Dec. 17 will be shipped in time for the holidays. In addition, USA Volleyball has several other 2008 Olympic Games apparel items commemorating the unprecedented indoor and beach volleyball success obtained in Beijing. Products available on the online store include short and long-sleeve T-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies in multiple designs.

INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS: USA Volleyball has processed nine transfers of U.S. Women's National Team members to compete for foreign volleyball clubs during the 2008-2009 season. Setter Robyn Ah Mow-Santos (Honolulu) will return to VBC Volero in Switzerland. Middle blockers Heather Bown (Yorba Linda, Calif.) and Danielle Scott-Arruda (Baton Rouge, La.) will compete in Italy's Serie A League. Bown competes for Monte Schiavo Banca Marche Jesi, while Scott-Arruda plays for CGF Recycle Florens Castellana Grotte. Japan's V-League has secured the talents of outside hitter Logan Tom (Salt Lake City, Utah) and opposite Tayyiba Haneef-Park (Laguna Hills, Calif.). Tom competes for Hisamitsu Seiyaku Springs, while Haneef-Park is on the Pioneer Red Wings roster playing for former U.S. Women's National Team Head Coach Toshi Yoshida. Middle blocker Jennifer Joines (Milpitas, Calif.) and outside hitter Kristin Richards (Orem, Utah) play for Russia's Fakel Novyi Urengoi club, while outside hitter Kim Glass (Lancaster, Pa.) also will compete in Russia with Universitet Belogorie. Ogonna Nnamani (Bloomington, Ill.) signed a contract to compete in the Turkish professional league with Galatasaray.

OLYMPIC COMMEMORATIVE APPRAREL ON SALE: USA Volleyball has unveiled five commemorative logo designs to appear on apparel saluting USA Volleyball's medal successes at the recent Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Beijing. Apparel can be purchased by visiting http://usavolleyball2008.com/store/. Men's and ladies' T-shirt designs are $15, while the youth T-shirt size is $13. Long sleeve t-shirts are $18, crew sweatshirts are $23 and hoodies are $30. Sizes XXL and larger have a slightly higher price. USA Volleyball's success on the Olympic grand stage in Beijing has never been achieved by any other nation since volleyball was added to the Olympics in 1964. The U.S. Olympic Men's Indoor Volleyball Team, which was named the United States Olympic Committee Team of the Month for August 2008, captured the gold medal at the Olympic Games without losing a single match. Women's Beach Volleyball (Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh) and Men's Beach Volleyball (Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers) both came back from Beijing with Olympic Games gold medals. The U.S. Olympic Women's Indoor Volleyball Team captured the silver medal in Beijing, as did the U.S. Women's Sitting Team during the Paralympic Games. No other country has ever participated in the gold-medal match of all four Olympic Games volleyball disciplines during the same year. Team USA added a fifth gold-medal appearance at the Paralympic Games.

2009 PAN AMERICAN CUP COMING TO MIAMI: USA Volleyball will host the Eighth Annual Women's Pan American Cup June 26-July 4 in conjunction with the USA Junior Olympic Girls' Volleyball Championship in the Miami area. The nine-day Pan American Cup, which will tentatively have three of the four 2008 Olympic Games semifinalists (Brazil, USA and Cuba), will be played on the campuses of the University of Miami and Florida International University. "USA Volleyball is extremely excited about the opportunity to host one of the largest international volleyball events in Miami and to pair it with the 2009 USA Junior Olympic Girls' Volleyball Championships," USA Volleyball Chief Executive Officer Doug Beal said. "It will provide a unique opportunity for our developing young volleyball players to be exposed to elite international volleyball teams from North America, South America and the Caribbean. The two events will also generate terrific excitement in the community and lead to greater popularity for the sport." USA Volleyball is hosting its first-ever Women's Pan American Cup, which serves as a qualifying event into the 2010 FIVB World Grand Prix. The event is the largest international volleyball event hosted by USA Volleyball in terms of country participation. Team USA has not hosted a women's senior-level international tournament since the 1998 FIVB World Championship Qualifier tournament in 1998. Due to international scheduling and professional league commitments, matches on domestic soil have become a rarity with only seven contests against foreign teams in the most recent Olympic quadrennial (2005-2008).